CoCoa Love
by CoCoLov
Summary: After a bad day, Arnold finds Helga alone, sick, and cold. He takes her home and she starts to open up. Enjoy! ¬ _¬


~* Cocoa Love *~ 

By CoåCoå Lov£ 

Hello all. Here is my first Hey Arnold! fanfic! Hope you enjoy it. Duh I don't own the show blah blah blah blah. Who the heck cares anyway? Um.... um.... I don't know what to say so just read! This is such a cute fic. Here we go! 

Summary; Arnold finds Helga outside, alone, and cold. He brings her home and she starts to open up. =) Brief references to episodes from the 3rd, 4th, and 5th season. 

Foods to eat/drink while reading; Hot chocolate or cocoa. With marshmallows. Yup, definitely. And while your at it pop in Lady and the Tramp. 

@~~~~~~~ 

I really hate sitting at lunch all alone. People look at me in this weird way like 'Oh my gosh, that girl is sitting all alone. She must have something wrong with her, she must not have any friends, she must be stupid, she must be sick, she must be......etc. What is wrong with people in this world? Just because my only friend is absent today doesn't mean she won't be back tomorrow sitting in that chair across from me. Then those people will have to face facts and consider 'Oh that poor lonely girl yesterday must do have a friend'. 

What am I rambling on for anyway? Just because my life lately has sucked and people avoid me like the plague doesn't mean I have the right to complain. So what if I live in a family who doesn't even know my name. So what if my mother is an alcoholic and can't hid her cravings at all in front of me? So what if my dad is the biggest loser this side of town and hasn't done a thing for me since I was born? So what if my sister acts like the sweetest angel and who actually believes that she is one? So what if the boy at school who I love with all my heart and soul, who's my ray of sunshine, my cup of tea, who brings up my spirit, is the one who hates me the most? Yes my life is a sad one. Yes I DO have the right to complain! I do have a say-so in my life! Don't those people see? Don't they care? They call themselves my family. Right, I really don't think so. 

Dang nab it I just know today is going to be one of those days. Through all I've gone through, through all I've had to endure you think my best friend could have at least been here for me today! 

"Where is that girl!" 

I scream slamming my fist onto the table. Immediately I regret it. Great, even more of those 'lovely people' who have friends now stare at me. Some with pity in their eyes. 

"What the heck are you looking at?" 

I stare them down. Some continue to stare and others go back to their mindless chatter. I finished eating my sandwich and walk over to the lunch line to get some dessert. Someone runs right towards me and I almost crash into something short and blond. My mind knows instantly who it is and I spin on a dime to avoid this special boy. *Bang* Right into the wall. I go down onto the floor and something warm and soft lands on top of me. 

"I'm so sorry Helga. You okay?" 

Oh no... It's my angel. I look up and the whole room is spinning. All I can see is the angel with the lime green jelly bean eyes. I want to take the hand he is offering me. I want to hug him and say I'm sorry too. I want to kiss those tropical eyes of his and never let go. But I can't. I start to say something that resembles ' I'm sorry my love' but my defense walls go up. 

"No your not sorry! You never are! You always knock me down on purpose so leave me alone!" 

I get up and start to walk myself over to the dessert machine. Heck I'm not going back in there. A Mr.Fudgy will do just fine. Half way there I see the line. 

"Out of my way!" 

I shove and push my way to the front. The kids there are smart, they know I'm not in a good mood and run off. 

"Stupid machine!" 

The thing ate my bill and I have no other money! Oh and that wouldn't have happened if Miriam my so called mother had given me lunch money for this week. She probably mailed it all off to Alaska for dear Olga along with my clothes, my jewelry and anything else that doesn't have my name taped all over it. Stupid parents! Stupid life! I can't take much more of this. This feeling of hate just keeps growing and growing. I can't stand it, I have to get out. Get out and get some air! 

"Helga!" 

What? Oh man, Arnold is here? I turn around and realize everyone is moving onto their next afternoon class and I'm practically clinging to this dessert machine. How long have I been standing here? 

"Why are you yelling! I'm not deaf!" 

This boy with the long flowing yellow hair and green eyes just stares at me curiously. 

"I was just trying to ask you if your okay. You were just standing there and ignoring me. The bell rang, everyone's leaving." 

Stupid football head. Always coming to my rescue. The only one who cares. I absorb his worried expression for a while then say the only thing I can think of. 

"Yah, I'm fine. What's it to you Arnoldo?" My classic nick name for him. I walk away. Slowly today cause I feel upset. He watched me go. 

That evening when I got home things were going even worse. 

"Helga! Get your pataki butt down into the trophy room. Pronto!" 

Big Bob. Dang it, you know I just walked into the stupid house and their already yelling at me. I was prepared though. Deficiencies were sent out yesterday. I threw my bags down angrily on the floor and went into the trophy room. This is where my parents love to chew me out. The lovely trophy's Olga has won over the years that surround me now makes me feel so much better. I sit down heavily in a red chair. 

"Helga you received 2 deficiency reports today. Now what in sam hill is going on with you! Sure you don't have the brains like Olga does -bless her little heart- but you do have some." 

Sure normal parents would just go ahead and ground me for about a month but no, big bob has to ring me out like a dog first. Oh no, here comes Miriam. She looks at me and speaks with that slow and irritating voice. 

"Oh Helga..... Algebra and Spanish...... why? Your sister got an A+ in Spanish 5. The least you can get is an A in Spanish 1." 

"Your mothers right Helga. I have a beeper empire to run and I'm the king. I don't want people to know I have a daughter that flunked any subjects. We Patakis just don't do that!" 

I am getting extremely annoyed. These.. these.. 'family members' of mine. How can they treat me like this? I'm a human being, I have feelings! 

"Does anyone know how I feel!!" I scream. "Just because I'm Helga the one who is never smiling, never talking nice, never getting straight A's doesn't mean I have no feelings or thoughts!" 

Tears fill my eyes. The danger of failing, my stupid sister, my non-loving parents. My mind couldn't hold it all in. 

"I'm going out!" And with that I run upstairs and slam the door. 

****** 

"Arnold, can you take those 2 trash bags down to the dump for me? The garbage truck man forgot to pick ours up again." 

Grandpa. I placed the snow globe back onto my desk and yelled: 

"Okay! Just let me grab my coat. I'll be down." 

I stared at the globe for a few more seconds. It had 2 cute fox figurines inside dancing around the powdered snow. I picked it up and shook it one last time. Frosty flakes swirled around and it began to play a haunted melody. It was sad yet joyful. Full of sorrow but happiness. Grandma said my parents gave it to me when I was young and that they had 2 foxes just like in that globe. I think Grandma made that up though 'cause she said their names were Blue and Berry and that their fur was blue and red. Whatever. I grabbed my blue coat off of my bed and ran downstairs to get the garbage. 

"Woo! Hey Tex! Looks like we got ourselves a calvery out there! Just look at all them sandwiches." Grandma circled me with her broom. 

"What are you talking about Grandma?" 

She jumped up and down. 

"The snow Tex, the snow!" 

Wow it really was snowing out. 

"That's great Grandma." 

I head out the door with the trash. 

The city dump is about 3 blocks from my house, past the lake, and to the right. 5 minutes later I was just passing the lake when I noticed someone was there. Who would be out in this weather? I hugged my jacket as the wind blew right into my face. Squinting I can just make out a silhouette. Looks like a tall person, they seemed to have a funny hairstyle, and... was that a bow on their head? Walking a little closer I can see that it was the person I was thinking about earlier. Helga sat on the pier shivering with no jacket. This is none of my business.... stay out of it and away from her. Besides if you try to help all she'll do is throw insults at you. Keeping these thoughts in mind I continued on my way. 

I got to the dump and threw the trash bags in. It had gotten so cold out and I was anxious to get home. I decided to go past the lake on my way home. Helga had been acting so strange lately. She seemed to be deep in thought everyday at school. Either that or yelling out insults to anyone she came in contact with. I remembered at lunch how she spaced out at the food machine and was talking to herself as if in a trance. Her life gets more complicated every day. 

I came around the corner by the lake. And sitting there in the same position as before was Helga. I kept telling myself to stay away from her. She does not like me and it will only make things worse between us if I interfere.... But still, why would she be alone outside in this kind of weather? Something wasn't right. 

"Hey Helga. What are you doing down here?" 

She spun around with a horrified look on her face. Were those...? Nah, she couldn't have been crying. This is Helga after all. 

"Don't you dare sneak up on me again you little weasel! Get out of here." 

'It was then that I noticed she really had been crying. Her face had tear streaks and her nose was red from the cold. She looked at me with such hatred but yet there was something else there. For over a year now I have been trying to figure out what it is. Her eyes have this look. I can't explain it. But there is something definitely there besides hate. 

"Why are you out here all alone? Its freezing and you don't have a coat." 

I walked over and stood in front of here. 

"Please... just go away. Please." 

Her voice started to crack and she looked away. Was that.. fear in her eyes now? Is she afraid of me? I turned and stood in front of her. 

"What is the matter? Helga if something is wrong you know you can tell me." 

Her eyes grew soft for a moment. She seemed to relax and then stiffen. Her body shuddered and she let out a horrible sneeze. She looked up at me with hate. 

"Leave...me....alone. Don't you get it? Stop trying to be so nice to me and scram. I don't want to talk to you!" 

"Your getting sick. How long have you been out here? Take me coat." 

I take my coat off and put it around her shoulders. Her hate disappears and she starts to cry. It was very disturbing to see a strong girl like Helga cry. But I guess everyone does at some point. She sniffled and looked up. She was about to say something when her body shook again and she sneezed. 

"C'mon. Lets get out of this weather. I'll walk you home" 

"No I will not go home. That's the reason I'm here in the first place." 

The last part was sort of mumbled. So it had to do with her family? I wouldn't blame her for getting upset at her parents. I had met her mother and father a few times and they were not the greatest people in the world. 

"Well at least you do have parents. Why not come home to them?" 

"I am not going home! I'm not going to sit there and be ignored for the rest of my life catering to big bob and getting Miriam smoothes every 15 minutes." 

She stared at me with that nothing-you-say-is-gonna-change-my-mind look. So stubborn I thought. 

"Okay, well I'm freezing. Why don't we go back to my place and get some cocoa? Grandma makes the best." 

She started to protest but then sneezed. With one last "Oh criminey!" she gave up. Standing up I put my arm around her and guided her back. 

****** 

"Grandma! Can you get some warm blankets and make some cocoa? We have a guest. Just bring them up to my room" 

"Okay Tex! It's on it's way!" 

Helga had been really quiet on the way to the boarding house. I guess she had gotten embarrassed by her sudden crying spell. She had thrown my arm off of her shoulder a couple of times but besides that she had been tempermental. I showed her the way upstairs to my room. 

"Well, here it is. It's nothing special. You can sit down over on the couch. I'll be right back." 

I tried to sound cheerful but she still stared at me with this sad blank look. I decided to go downstairs and get the things I requested myself. Who knew what would happen if grandma came barging into my room shouting out war phrases. I grabbed some white towels and threw them into the dryer for about 5 minutes. Then I went to make some cocoa. Grandma was already in the kitchen making it. 

"Hey there colonel! You bring home another girl again? Well I made some cocoa. Good stuff ya know!" 

I took the 2 cups of cocoa, thanked grandma, and ran to get the towels. They were so nice and warm. This would make Helga feel better. 

I opened my bedroom door slightly and peered in. Helga was over on my bed looking at my photos. I nudged the door open farther and went it. She got off the bed quickly and sat down on the floor by the couch. I handed her a towel and she thanked me. 

"This is really warm. Thanks Arnold." 

"Yah no problem. I have some cocoa here too." 

"Yah." 

I stared at her. I had one time disliked her. She was so mean to me. Always calling out insults, putting things in my hair, constantly tormenting me around every bend. I use to take this personally. Everyone at the school still does. But then one day I realized the truth. Helga was not doing this because she hated me, or anyone else for that matter. She acted the way she did because of her life and what she has been through. Her father and mother and even sister are nothing to be proud of. They treat her with such disrespect and she truly doesn't deserve that. I don't think anyone does. In the years I have gotten to know Helga I know this: she is really not all that bad. She is full of wonderful ideas and creative thoughts. She has so much going for her if only people gave her a chance. Maybe that's why she hated me so much. Because I was the only one who ever cared and her response to this was the only one she knew, hate. I was just thinking of the first time I had met her when she stirred me out of my thoughts. 

"Hey. Your cocoa is getting cold. And your towel." 

"Oh yah. You know Helga, I was just thinking about preschool. You know, when we first met each other." 

"That was a long time ago. Stupid Harold ate my crackers on the first day. What an idiot." 

"That was mean but then again it was Harold. Remember how we would finger paint with pudding?" 

Helga laughed softly at that. I smiled. 

"Yah that was funny. Then you went and got it all over me ya football!" 

"Oh yah! Well I know I said sorry." 

Her sad look returned and I mentally kicked myself. I don't want to see her frown. Her smile is actually ...quite nice. 

"Hey, don't look so down. Why don't I pop in a movie while we finish the rest of our drink?" 

She nodded her head. 

"Can you warm my towel up some more?" 

"Sure thing. The movies are over by my closet. You get to pick." 

I grabbed her towel and mine and proceeded to the door. When I got down to the dryer I decided a blanket would be much warmer. I found a nice comforter and threw it in. In about 5 minutes it was done and I headed back up the stairs. Helga was certainly showing me a different side of herself. I believe this is her true form. Such a shame she couldn't act this way all the time. When I got upstairs I found her sprawled out on my floor with some tapes. She motioned for me to come down and I did so with the blanket. 

"Hey there. I decided to warm up a blanket because that's a lot comfortable than a towel!" 

She smiled and showed me two tapes. One was the Lady and the Tramp and the other was... Immortal Beloved. Why did she pick those? They were complete opposites. 

"Wow I never thought you would like to watch movies like those. Grandma gave me the dog one for by birthday and Lila gave me Immortal Beloved." 

She smirked when I said the word Lila. She was just about the only person who disliked that girl. I'll never know why. 

"Your grandma gave you Lady and the Tramp? I would have thought Lila gave you that one on account of it's ever so cute." 

I pretended to not notice the 'ever so' remark. 

"Why don't we watch Lady and the Tramp? I think we need something nice and funny to laugh at." 

She agreed and I popped the tap in. I threw the blanket over Helga and she stared at me while the movie started. 

" Arnold..... um. Thank..thank you. For uh..." 

She was uncomfortable saying this. I was really surprised she would even thank me to begin with. But then again she surprised me a lot that night and I found I enjoyed her company. 

"It's okay Helga. I understand. All your life no one has ever payed you the attention you deserve. Everyone thinks your a mean and selfish person but I don't." 

She smiled brightly and I swear her eyes started to water. 

"Thank you. Um.. want to share my blanket?" 

"Yah okay." 

I sat down on the floor and put the blanket around us. This seemed odd to me but I guess she wanted closeness. 

With the blanket between us and her warmth around me I started to feel something towards her. She was the most interesting girl I've ever know. She told me of her parents and of her sister. Her days at school with pheobe. What she liked to do when no one was looking. She showed me who she really was. I started to tell her things about my parents when there was a knock at my door. Before I had time to say anything. The door banged open and Grandpa barged in. He stared. I didn't blame him. Not only was I watching the ending to Lady and the Tramp I was also sharing a blanket with a girl. 

"What is it Grandpa?" 

"It's 10:30 short man! Don't you think your little friend should be getting home?" 

10:30! Were had the time gone? I glanced over at Helga and she shook her head back and forth and mouthed 'no!'. 

"Okay Grandpa. Can she stay just a little more? After the movie is done she can call home." 

"Okay Arnold. I'm going to bed so you two be good. No foolin' around okay?" 

I smiled as grandpa closed the door and laughed. 

"I'm....I'm not quite ready to go home Arnold. May I stay for just a little more? We can watch Immortal Beloved." 

"Why don't you call home first. Your parents will be worried. You must have been gone for awhile now." 

She gave me a foul look and got up. Mumbling to herself she picked up the phone and dialed. 

"Hey bob It's me Helga......Criminy I know!.....Yes....Yes.....Yes I understand!....I'm going to be here for awhile so you better just go to bed....ok... OK!" 

She slammed the phone down. 

"What did they say?" 

"Nothing important. Only one up was Bob. Figures.... anyway I told him to go to bed so I can stay as long as you let me." 

"Okay. Lets put on Immortal Beloved." 

I popped in the tape and Helga settled back under the blanket. I really liked this tape although I didn't tell Helga. The music was absolutely beautiful as well as the story. By the middle of the movie it was 11:30 and we were both tired. I was too sleepy to tell Helga to leave and I think she was too peaceful to ask. We laid on the floor together under the blanket. It was a cold night outside but our body heat kept us warm. I slowly found myself drifting off to sleep. Helga stirred from her resting position and took out her pigtails. She let her hair flow down and flopped onto the floor. She closed her eyes as Betoveens 9th symphony began. I stared at her and hummed the music. 

Next thing I remember is waking up to my side hurting. With my eyes closed I kept shoeing this 'thing' away from my side but it always came back. Annoyed that this 'thing' was keeping me from my sleep I promptly opened my eyes and slapped the 'thing' away. Only then did I notice this 'thing was a girls head. 

From underneath a slew of blond hair came a distant mumble. I looked at the clock and it read 2:20. The TV was still on and shining brightly in my eyes. I turned it off. 

"H..hey....Helga. Wake up." 

I rubbed my eyes. She had to get home. Her parents would be worried. 

"Helga. g..get up." 

Wait, would her parents really be worried? 

"Helga...do you want to go home?" 

Nope, her parents would definitely not be worried. 

The blond head moved and another muffled sound was heard. 

I fell back to sleep. 

****** 

I stirred from my sleep. What time was it? I moved the hair out from my eyes and tried to make sense of the blurry numbers. 4:30. No, this had to be a dream. Could I actually.... have fallen asleep at Arnolds? It was then that I noticed a very warm something next to me. I turned and sure enough there was Arnold. Fast asleep. 

"Oh my angel. Right beside me all night! Guarding our precious souls." 

I kept my voice low but it was hard since I was so ecstatic. If I wasn't lying down I know I would have fainted. I had been sleeping next to him! No, he had slept next to me. And he didn't even wake me to tell me I had to go. This night was one I will never forget. I am so full of inspiration. Darn. To bad I don't have my pink book with me. I laid back down and snuggled a little closer to him. His scent engulfed me. I snuggled just a wee bit closer before drifting off to sleep once more. A smile on both of our faces. 

* 

Stupid birds were chirping. Something bright was shining on my eyes. Then the warmness of the room disappeared. I groaned and opened my eyes. Came face to face with 2 green eyes. We both sat back fast. I rubbed my eyes and stared. Arnolds room was brightly lit with beams of sun shining down from the sky light. There were tapes, empty mugs, and blankets laying everywhere. And of course there was Arnold in all his splendor standing before me. 

"About time you woke up. Grandma's making breakfast. You like scrambled eggs?" 

It took me a few seconds to comprehend what he was saying. 

"Oh. Yah eggs are good!" 

What am I babbling about? Eggs are good? I have to keep my cool, still act tough. But my toughness had seemed to disappear over night. I was tired of acting mean. Sure I hated my parents and my life, but overnight it had gotten a whole lot better. And I guess so did my attitude. This was weird. To much had happened and I suddenly felt dizzy. Arnold put his hand on my shoulder. 

"You okay?" 

"Yah... I guess I just need some food. I never had supper last night." 

"Why not?" 

"Sometimes my parents forget to cook or they aren't hungry. So they don't make anything." 

Why was he looking at me like that? 

"Helga that's not good that you don't eat. We always have plenty here. You can stop by anytime." 

Oh my....he just gave me an invitation. I was for sure going to faint now. Yup.. here comes the darkness. How embarrassing. I hit the rug and all went dark. 

* 

"Okay thanks Grandpa. Yah. Right after we eat. Bye" 

I woke up shortly after hearing Arnolds voice. When I opened my eyes I was laying on his couch. The smell of scrambled eggs filled the room. 

"Here have something to eat." 

"Oh thanks." 

He held up the fork to my mouth but I pushed it away. 

"I can feed myself. I only fainted." 

"Okay. I wasn't sure." 

He stared at me with that look again. What was wrong with him? I ate my breakfast and watched him eat his. We sat together on the couch silent. After he was done I spoke. 

"I have to go home now right?" 

He looked sort of sad. My heart skipped a beat. 

"Yah. Your parents will be worried if you don't come home this morning." 

"Heck last time I talked to them it was last night. Who knows how much damage they have suffered since my absence." 

We both laughed at that. I couldn't help but sigh. I didn't want to leave. 

"Well Arnold. Thanks for helping me out when I needed it. I guess tomorrow at school we'll just go back to being our regular selves." 

I stood up and walked slowly to the door. 

And was stopped by Arnold. 

"Wait Helga. What I saw today and yesterday. It was the real you right? I mean... we had actual conversations and had a great time. I had a great time. So please don't act mean tomorrow. You should show everyone how you really are." 

"I....I want to. But I can't. I don't know what happened here last night. But it was nice. A nice change. But you'll go back to being nice to everyone and I'll go back to calling you names. No one will know." 

"But don't you want them to know? I'm sure everyone will like you." 

This was so strange. I'm the one who has the obsession but yet I'm leaving him. Does he actually like me like me? This is just to overwhelming. Arnold may actually like me like me! I can't leave. Not now. Please don't make me leave... 

"I don't want to go." 

"Neither do I." 

Oh my ......I am so close to declaring my love. But if I did could I handle the rejection? At this point in my life I'm not sure. Declare my love now and possibly face rejection or walk out that door and never know? My mind knows I should go but my heart won't let me move. Arnold looked like a deer in headlights. He stared wide eyed at me. Silently begging me not to go. Why now, why did he have to like me now. I'm weak here in his house. I could just brush him off anywhere else. Why is it so hard. 

Arnold is leaning close to me now. Is he doing what I think he's doing? 

He's getting closer. Yup, he's definitely doing what I thought he's doing. 

Only inches away now. Why am I just standing here? We should be on the floor by now. 

He's right in front of me. What should I do? What can I do? 

"Helga?" 

He speaks in that low deep voice. Oh god...... 

Wait he's moving back again. Where are you going? Get back here. 

He stares at me embarrassed. Why the heck did I just stand there?! He was right there. 

And then it hit me. Like a sack of footballs. He was going to kiss me. Arnold, the man of my obsession for so long, was going to kiss me. And I just stood there. 

To heck with my family, my life, my pride, my dignity, and whatever else made up the old me. I want him and he wants me. I grab his shirt and pull him to me. 

I kissed him. 

I never felt so much joy in my life. To know that one person, one very kind boy, can make everything in my life a complete u turn. I suddenly loved life. Loved my parents, loved my best friend, loved that goofy Mr.Simmons, and heck I even loved Brainy. But most of all I loved Arnold. 

I slid my hands around him and he did the same to me. His body was extremly hot and electricity ran through us. Sweet kisses were shared along with some giggles. Well, the giggles were my part. The other was Arnolds. 

When we broke off both gasping for air I looked at him. If he could only know that I kept that kiss bottled up inside me for so long. Judging by his expression on that cute football face of his I decided maybe he had. Words were not needed right now. We had all the time in the world for that. He ran his fingers through my long hair.  


Arnolds phone began ringing but we ignored it. We stared at each other. Him leaning down over me and I staring up at him. Silly Arnold had me backed up into a corner. 

Arnolds answering machine came on and I vaguely herd my fathers voice. 

"Helga Geraldine Pataki, If you don't get your little fanny tailed hide right back this instant young lady I'll have your -" 

I blocked the image out completly. I didn't care that my father was yelling at me. Besides I had said I loved him earlier. Right? When Arnold kissed me? 

Arnold kissed me. I remembered it all over again. He shared the same thought as I and grabbed my hand sending me flying to the floor. 

I sighed and he kissed me. 

Criminy it's about time! 

~*Fin*~ 

Additional comments: 

Aww now I feel all toasty inside. * skips off to drink some cocoa. * 


End file.
